Incinerator with a flue gas guiding device and a safety mechanism

ABSTRACT

An incinerator includes a furnace having a cylindrical top section, a cyclone separator connected to an effluent outlet of the top section, a tubular member mounted in the top section and defining a flue gas passage, and a flue gas guiding device mounted in the top section below the tubular member and including a seat body vertically aligned with the tubular member, and a plurality of angularly spaced apart helical blades extending radially from the seat body to an inner wall of the top section so as to provide helical movement to a stream of hot combustion gas passing therethrough and so as to split the stream of the hot combustion gas into a stream of high-density flue gas that exits from the effluent outlet, and a stream of low-density flue gas that flows outwardly through the flue gas passage.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] This invention relates to an incinerator with a flue gas guiding device and a safety mechanism, more particularly to an incinerator with a flue gas guiding device that permits splitting of hot combustion gas in the incinerator into high-density flue gas and low-density flue gas, and a safety mechanism that permits release of an inner pressure in the incinerator.

[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art

[0004]FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a conventional incinerator for combustion of hull or shell waste of agricultural crops. The incinerator includes a furnace 10 confining a combustion chamber and having a top section that is formed with an effluent outlet 13 at one side thereof for exit of hot combustion gas in the combustion chamber, and a safety outlet 12 that is normally closed and that is opened for exit of the hot combustion gas in case of an emergency. A plate-like safety valve 14 is disposed rotatably in the safety outlet 12, and is driven by a motor (not shown) for opening the safety outlet 12 in case of an emergency, such as a sudden sharp increase in an inner pressure in the combustion chamber due to abnormal operation of the incinerator. A potential risk is present in the conventional incinerator since the safety valve 14 can fail to open in case of the aforesaid emergency when the motor is suddenly deactivated due to breakdown of a power line.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide an incinerator that is capable of overcoming the aforesaid problem associated with the prior art.

[0006] According to the present invention, an incinerator comprises: a furnace confining a combustion chamber and having a cylindrical top section that extends in a vertical direction and that has a top open end confining an opening, an effluent outlet disposed below the top open end and extending in a tangential direction relative to the top section, and an inner wall, the effluent outlet having upper and lower ends in the vertical direction; a cyclone separator connected to the effluent outlet; a tubular member mounted in the top section, extending outwardly through the opening in the vertical direction, having a bottom end below the lower end of the effluent outlet, and defining a flue gas passage; and a flue gas guiding device mounted in the top section below the tubular member and including a seat body vertically aligned with the tubular member, and a plurality of angularly spaced apart helical blades extending radially from the seat body to the inner wall of the top section so as to provide helical movement to a stream of hot combustion gas passing therethrough and so as to split the stream of the hot combustion gas into a stream of high-density flue gas that flows in a helical direction around the tubular member and that exits from the effluent outlet, and a stream of low-density flue gas that enters into the tubular member and that flows outwardly through the flue gas passage.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] In drawings which illustrate an embodiment of the invention,

[0008]FIG. 1 is a schematic view to illustrate how a safety valve is operated in a conventional incinerator;

[0009]FIG. 2 is a sectional view of an incinerator embodying this invention;

[0010]FIG. 3 is a fragmentary top view of the incinerator of FIG. 2; and

[0011]FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view to illustrate how a flue gas guiding device functions to provide helical movement of a combustion gas in a furnace of the incinerator of FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0012] FIGS. 2 to 4 illustrate a preferred embodiment of an incinerator of this invention.

[0013] The incinerator includes: a furnace 20 confining a combustion chamber 201 and having a cylindrical top section 21 that extends in a vertical direction and that has a top open end 211 confining an opening 2110, an effluent outlet 213 disposed below the top open end 211 and extending in a tangential direction relative to the top section 21, and an inner wall 212, the effluent outlet 213 having upper and lower ends 2131, 2132 in the vertical direction and curving around the top open end 211 (see FIG. 3); a cyclone separator 40 connected to the effluent outlet 213; a tubular member 214 mounted in the top section 21, extending outwardly through the opening 2110 in the vertical direction, having a bottom end 2142 below the lower end 2132 of the effluent outlet 213, and defining a flue gas passage 2141 therein; and a flue gas guiding device 30 mounted in the top section 21 below the tubular member 214 and including a seat body 32 vertically aligned with the tubular member 214, and a plurality of angularly spaced apart helical blades 33 extending radially from the seat body 32 to the inner wall 212 of the top section 21 so as to provide helical movement to a stream of hot combustion gas passing therethrough and so as to split the stream of the hot combustion gas into a stream of high-density flue gas that flows in a helical direction around the tubular member 214 and that exits from the effluent outlet 213, and a stream of low-density flue gas, a major amount of which enters into the tubular member 214 and flows outwardly through the flue gas passage 2141, and the remaining amount of which flows outwardly through a portion of the opening 2110 around the tubular member 214. The seat body 32 has a truncated conical shape that is gradually enlarged from a bottom end to a top end thereof, and defines a conical surface from which the helical blades 33 extend.

[0014] In case of an emergency, in which there is a sudden sharp increase in an inner pressure in the combustion chamber due to abnormal operation of the incinerator, the tubular member 214 and the opening 2110 in the top open end 211 of the top section 21 can serve as a safety mechanism that permits an immediate release of the inner pressure, thereby preventing potential occurrence of an explosion in the combustion chamber 201.

[0015] With the inclusion of the tubular member 214 and the flue gas guiding device 30, the aforesaid drawback as encountered in the prior art can be eliminated.

[0016] With the invention thus explained, it is apparent that various modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. It is therefore intended that the invention be limited only as recited in the appended claims. 

I claim:
 1. An incinerator comprising: a furnace confining a combustion chamber and having a cylindrical top section that extends in a vertical direction and that has a top open end confining an opening, an effluent outlet disposed below said top open end and extending in a tangential direction relative to said top section, and an inner wall, said effluent outlet having upper and lower ends in the vertical direction; a cyclone separator connected to said effluent outlet; a tubular member mounted in said top section, extending outwardly through said opening in the vertical direction, having a bottom end below said lower end of said effluent outlet, and defining a flue gas passage; and a flue gas guiding device mounted in said top section below said tubular member and including a seat body vertically aligned with said tubular member, and a plurality of angularly spaced apart helical blades extending radially from said seat body to said inner wall of said top section so as to provide helical movement to a stream of hot combustion gas passing therethrough and so as to split the stream of the hot combustion gas into a stream of high-density flue gas that flows in a helical direction around said tubular member and that exits from said effluent outlet, and a stream of low-density flue gas that enters into said tubular member and that flows outwardly through said flue gas passage. 